NORWAY’s ARCTIC STRATEGY AND SECURITY ISSUES

Abstract

The article examines Norway’s Arctic strategy and the country’s policy in the field of defence and security. It is noted that Oslo, among the countries of the Arctic Council, is the leader in the development and further improvement of strategies in the Arctic, taking into account the peculiarities of the country and its northern territories. The country is implementing one of the most innovative economic strategies in the region, developing high-tech sectors of the economy, reducing its dependence on the export of hydrocarbon raw materials, improving the administrative-territorial division of the country in the interests of developing the northern provinces. Attention is paid to the development of the industrial sector of the economy, transport (primarily port) infrastructure, scientific and educational complexes, Arctic tourism and recreational business, migration policy and support of the indigenous population. The author pays special attention to Norway’s place in NATO, noting that the North of Norway is becoming one of Scandinavia’s most militarised regions. It is emphasised that this greatly hinders international cooperation with the closest neighbours, primarily with Russia. It is necessary to seek to improve relations between our countries, even in the face of the current friction at the interstate level in matters of security and severe contradictions in the area of the Spitsbergen archipelago.

Keywords

• arctic
• norway
• russia
• arctic council
• nato
• energy resources
• ecology
• regional policy